Saturday 2 August 2014 15.22 EDT
First published on Saturday 2 August 2014 15.22 EDT

Britain has been accused of failing to follow up its rhetoric on combating violence against women by not ratifying a treaty aimed at providing greater protection for victims of abuse.

Campaigners are pushing the UK to ratify a European convention that obliges governments to take measures to counter domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage and stalking. They believe that, although ministers say they are committed to tackling these issues, prevarication on formally sanctioning the Council of Europe treaty undermines such a pledge.

So far, 14 European states have committed to improving measures to tackle violence against women through the Istanbul Convention, including Italy, Turkey, Serbia and Albania. The UK is among a number of nations to have signed but not ratified the convention, drawn up by the continent's leading human rights body.

Gauri van Gulik, the global women's rights advocate for campaign group Human Rights Watch, said: "I don't see why it's not been initiated yet – that indicates to me that there's not enough political will [in the UK] to push it through."

She said the approach contrasted sharply with the political urgency displayed by former foreign secretary William Hague during the recent Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict that was hosted by Britain. Gulik added: "We haven't seen the same kind of fervour as we've seen with Hague at the summit."

A spokesman for the 47-nation Council of Europe said: "It would have been great to have seen the UK among the states that have ratified, but we are confident it will ratify this year." The areas identified by Gulik where the UK could improve include extending rights for women whose husbands have been given residency and whose fear of deportation might prevent them from going to the police to report allegations of domestic violence.

Among other stipulations, signatories to the convention must "ensure that victims have access to services facilitating their recovery from violence" including legal and psychological counselling, financial assistance, housing, education, training and assistance in finding employment.

At least 12 women a day are killed in gender-related violence in Europe, according to the Council of Europe. Last year, domestic violence claimed the lives of 121 women in France, 134 in Italy and 143 in the UK, according to national statistics. One in three women in the EU has experienced some form of physical and/or sexual assault since the age of 15, according to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.